Um, I should confess from the onset of this review that I have a particular bias against this opera, specifically for its music. To put it directly: Verdi's music for his opera Macbeth is frivolously cheerful, for what is without a shadow of a doubt one of the Western literary canon's darkest and most psychologically terrifying works, dealing with nothing less than cold-blooded murder, guilt and psychosis.

OK, now that I've got that off my chest, this production by the combined forces under the Singapore Lyric Opera is, to put it simply: an absolute triumph! Of all the SLO/SLT productions I have attended, this is by far the most professionally executed I have ever witnessed.

 

A Very Unexpected Piece of Blocking I have to highlight the completely unexpected "tribute" to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) - during the final scene, as the triumphant rebels sing of victory and act out plans to rebuild their nation/company, the rear screen is raised to reveal a giant picture of - of all things! - a HDB block! You got to be kidding right?! It might not be a complete anti-climax, owing to the superb quality of the production already displayed at this point, but it certainly got the entire audience tittering and guffawing in chagrin!

Under the excellent guidance of director Tom Hawkes (who also did the fantastic production of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream a couple of years ago), the opera is set in a contemporary world, with the physical set cast as a "building site", doubling as Macbeth's mansion.

The overall impression of the stage is of a combination of construction site and dump, its active areas comprised of a central circular "arena" backed by a wall supporting a bridge/balcony. The rear wall effectively creates an exit at its centre, while the bridge/balcony opens up two additional exits (left and right) to the wings, for a total of five entrance/exit points. The central exit, when covered with a translucent screen, is also used to project Macbeth's visions as well as the ghost's apparition. In all, Set Designer Lu Ping has done a fine job - although it is a touch static, from a theatrical point of view, this set is a concise and quite beautifully-crafted piece.

The synopsis states a "twenty-first century" setting, but the choice of costumes really looks more like something from around the mid-to-late 1900s, tuxs, trenchcoats and evening gowns the lot. Colours are kept simple, often in solid blocks - Malcolm is always in white, Macbeth largely black, Lady Macbeth in complete white or red, the witches black and sleazy, the common folk in drab earth colours.

The predominantly dim lighting emphasizes the somewhat gothic atmosphere, complimented cleverly by the use of shadowplay to produce Macbeth's visions in the single scene of Act 3. Here, the witches' cauldron is represented by a television set, which faces Macbeth, away from the audience. At the same time, the show which Macbeth ostensibly watches on the TV set (complete with flickering glow) is portrayed on the screen draped over the central exit behind Macbeth, in shadowplay - it almost evokes the idea of Plato's cave. In the latter part of the ghost scene, Duncan's ghost materialises behind a red screen over the central exit, suitably bloody and ethereal. Likewise, Banquo's murder occurs in shadow, an overwhelming torrent of gray stabbing limbs.

What disappoints me perhaps, is why, with such ingenious use of light for the witch scenes, was nothing of the sort done for Macbeth's famous dagger soliloquy. A shadow of a dagger floating by through the central screen would have been extremely effective.

In any case, the dark and grim atmosphere was very much complete, mainly undermined by Verdi's frivolously cheerful music (notably in Banquo's premonitions of evil intent, just before his murder. The music is so oddly happy that one is almost happy to see him die). The NUSS-Singapore Opera Orchestra began the night in distinctly dry voice in the first couple of scenes, but its warm-up was simply spectacular. As the opera progressed, the musicians gathered impressive power and expressive conviction, producing a sound far more immense than the orchestra's small size would suggest. Unlike previous productions where some (expected) degree of tentativeness is detectable, the orchestra tonight surged into their role with confidence and strength, playing in unified formation, obviously very well-rehearsed under the superb direction of conductor Lim Yau.

Complementing the finely-honed orchestra is the superlatively assembled choir - what can I say? Whether it is the witches, the factory folk, the repressed commoners or the rebels, their singing tonight was simply stunning and brimming with dramatic energy. Such blistering choral vibrato and solid suffused power! Without doubt they imbued much presence and solidarity to the production, singing with such experience, feeling and unity. Some of the most stirring moments of the opera came from the combined choral efforts between choir and main vocal cast, such as the ending of the first and last acts, where the soloists' concentrated voices are framed and supported by the massed choir.

Indeed, the heroes of the show were the Lady Macbeth of Christine Bunning and to a lesser degree, Charles Johnston's Macbeth. English soprano Christine Bunning has performed Lady Macbeth for the Royal Opera at Covent Garden, plus a huge host of roles too many to list - and her experience shows. Her powerful soprano, dark and subdued in evil intent, or shining brilliant at the top of the final chorus of Act 1, showed her ability to be both subtle and to-the-fore.

Johnston's Macbeth is a model of balanced acting - it is all too easy to overact Macbeth, but he does it with just the right level of madness, anxiety and unpredictability. Though traditionally (i.e. in dramatic production) these two roles would demand much more in the way of psychotic portrayal, I am willing to forget about that, owing to Verdi's, ah, frivolously cheerful music.

The roles of Banquo, Macduff and Malcolm are fairly straightforward, but received fine renditions by Nomer Son, Terje Andersen and Lemuel Dela Cruz respectively. In particular, Nomer Son's portrayal is very palpable to the audience, be it his emotional outcry at discovering Duncan's murder, or his bemusement at the witches' pronouncements.

There is one final thing I must highlight, which is perhaps the single most dramatically/ philosophically provocative point of the entire production. (Please note that this is a point of literary discussion - I am not saying I disagree with the production). During the battle scene, whereas we might normally visualise two armoured warriors from the Middle Ages (Shakespeare's sources for his play is believed to come from real figures from the 10th and 11th centuries) fighting with sword and shield, the present rendition is no more unceremonious than a Macduff rushing Macbeth with a knife, a very quick clash of the two men in coats, ending abruptly as one stabs the other.

The modern setting degenerates what is normally accepted as honourable trial-by-battle into, well, murder, even if you approve of Macduff as some kind of vigilante. My point is, we tend to think of justice in a contemporary setting as being caught by police, made to stand trial in court, and then sentencing. But here, the villain is simply stabbed to death in the streets. If we were to push this further, then wouldn't it be fair to say that Macduff, in committing murder (even justified), is no different from Macbeth? Thought-provoking indeed.

Verdi's music for this opera appears to centre on the triumph of good over evil, and as such he makes a big fuss over the final scene, which is ostensibly his "big climax". But if you ask me, from a literary point of view, the power and ingeniuty of Shakespeare's Macbeth is his portrayal of the human psyche, of guilt, morality and other dark things. No matter what biographers say of Verdi's admiration for Macbeth and its playwright, I daresay, with all due respect and please indulge me, that he missed the point.

But where the composer may seem a bit off the mark, I can say with confidence that the undeniable triumph and champion of tonight is the Singapore Lyric Opera cast, crew and musicians. Never mind the small reservations mentioned above - for the night truly belonged to you. Well done!

(Um, did I mention that Verdi's music for Macbeth is frivolously cheerful?)

CHIA HAN-LEON just realised that his "useless" honours degree in English Literature can be used to subtly undermine famous great artists. Oh oh.

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